is a tabletop RPG with an incredible array of options for building a character for a new campaign. When building a new character, many different pieces should mesh together to create a fun, effective, and flexible character who can get the job done. But first, the player should choose the right combination of their character's race and class, two of the biggest building blocks for any PC.
Some players might pick their character's class first because they want a certain play style, then choose a race whose features match that class well, such as choosing barbarian and then selecting half-orc or dwarf. Or, a player can do the reverse and choose a character race first, then figure out which classes and subclasses are ideal. Tieflings are a popular race among D&D players as highly customizable beings descended from devils.
Dungeons and Dragons
A fantasy roleplaying tabletop game designed for adventure-seekers, the original incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax in 1974.
- Franchise
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
- January 26, 1974
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast , TSR Inc.
- Designer
- E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson
- Player Count
- 4-8 Players Recommended
- Age Recommendation
- 12+
- Length per Game
- 3 hours +
- Expansions
- Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
Summary
Dungeons & Dragons is the fantasy tabletop role-playing game that has persevered for nearly 50 years and continues to grow strong. Created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the game first made publication in 1974 and now falls under the Wizards of the Coast publishing wing. A typical game of DnD consists of 4-6 players, with one player acting as the Dungeon Master. Players can take a sheet and by consulting the various rule books and expansions, can create their own character with weapons, skills, and physical appearance. Once all characters are created, the Dungeon Master sets them off in a campaign of their choosing or design, where players will have to follow the rules of the DM as they roleplay their way through storylines. The characters will level up, find equipment, and experience permanent changes based on the way the story plays out. A roll of the dice can mean the difference between a successful hit, and a painful end. The most recent edition of Dungeons & Dragons is the 5th edition rule book.
Playing a Tiefling Also Calls For Some Slick Roleplay
10 The Ranger Class Only Suits a Nature-Oriented Tiefling
By default, the ranger class doesn't do much for tieflings and vice versa, since ranger spells are Wisdom-based while tieflings have a natural boost to Charisma and Intelligence. Still, a few subraces for tiefling are decent for rangers, such as feral tieflings or Glasya tieflings.
Tiefling rangers are far from optimal, but there's still a bit of overlap a player may enjoy if they're building a casual character for a one-shot. Tieflings are often social rejects, so a tiefling ranger may find validation in the wilds, where animals won't judge them. A tiefling's limited toughness is also fine for an archery-based ranger.
9 The Monk Class Can Mildly Benefit From Tiefling Spellcasting
The monk class is one of the four non-caster martial classes, using ki points to enhance their abilities rather than using spellcasting. Monk isn't a great option for a tiefling character, but it's still passable if the player has the right flavor and uses the feral tiefling subrace.
Feral tieflings boost their Dexterity rather than Charisma, which is vital for a DEX-based class like monk. Tiefling monks can also use innate spellcasting for extra effects their ki points cannot provide. Flavor-wise, perhaps a frustrated outcast tiefling took up martial arts to vent their negative feelings in a constructive way.
8 The Wizard Class Makes Mild Use of Tiefling Intelligence
Good Wizards Also Need the Right Magic Items
Tieflings are naturally drawn to the caster classes due to their stat boosts, most of all Charisma-based casters with that +2 bonus. Meanwhile, tieflings also get +1 to Intelligence, which is decent but not amazing for a tiefling wizard build.
Wizards are the most flexible utility casters, so innate spellcasting isn't quite as important for them, though darkvision and resistance to fire can't hurt, especially for a campaign with many fire-based foes. Still, if a tiefling character is a winged subclass, a tiefling wizard can be much better, flying around to avoid enemy melee attacks.
7 The Fighter Class Is Fine For Dextrous Tieflings
The fighter class cares most about Strength and Constitution, making it ideal for races like half-orc, dwarf, earth genasi, and dragonborn, though a clever player can make a tiefling fighter fairly good, too. Tiefling stat increases don't support the fighter class, but racial traits like fire resistance and darkvision do.
A winged tiefling can make a decent DEX-based fighter who focuses on bows and arrows, and such a character can use medium armor to stay airborne. Such a character can hit hard with their DEX-based attacks while avoiding melee attacks, and fighter class traits like second wind and action surge will work just fine, too.
6 The Artificer Class Is Good For Smart Tieflings
The recent artificer class is also an Intelligence-based caster like the wizard class, meaning a tiefling's +1 INT boost is only mildly helpful while the +2 CHA boost may end up wasted. There are better races for artificers, such as gnome, but for flavor reasons, a tiefling artificer can be built.
If the player rolls good stats, the tiefling's +1 INT will be all they need to cast artificer spells to maximum effect, all while tapping into their racial spells with a fairly high CHA as well. The player could pick a tiefling subrace that best suits their playstyle as an artificer, then see where this bizarre combination takes them.
5 The Rogue Class Is Good For Crafty Tieflings
Tieflings reach their true potential with Charisma-based caster classes, but the rogue class is also good for a tiefling who's designed for trickery and flexibility above all else. The CHA boost may help tiefling rogues talk their way in or out of any situation, and darkvision may help them sneak through cellars or caves with ease.
Certain tiefling subraces make a tiefling rogue even better with innate spellcasting. A Levistus tiefling, for example, can cast Darkness at 5th level, perfect for a rogue to swipe some goodies while nearby NPCs or monsters can't see them. Meanwhile, Glasya tiefling rogues can use Minor Illusion, Invisibility, and Disguise Self, all excellent for rogues who need more than DEX to complete a mission.
4 The Paladin Class Uses Charisma Spells
Tiefling Paladins Can Also Lead to Great Roleplay
The paladin class is the first truly great class option for a tiefling character, making full use of the race's +2 CHA boost. Paladins may only be half-casters, like rangers, but paladin spells can still turn the tide of battle, and so can their class features.
A tiefling paladin can easily take on fire-based enemies at close range due to their racial traits, such as a fire hellion or an efreeti. A few tiefling subraces are even better for the paladin class, such as Levistus, using innate Armor of Agathys to tank enemy hits even better than ever. The Zarial subrace is also fantastic.
3 The Bard Class is Great For Charismatic, Showy Characters
The bard class is far more than a running joke about seducing NPCs with a massive Charisma stat. Bards are full-on casters, and between their skills and spells, they are utility characters like wizards who can serve as the group's face. Good races for bards include half-elf, changeling, and certainly tiefling.
Tieflings are popular because of how unique and flavorful they can be as characters, and that goes double with a tiefling bard. Such characters will always be their flamboyant, expressive selves, and bard spells tend to be Charisma-based, ideal for the tiefling race. A winged tiefling bard can also avoid melee attacks and support the party from the air.
2 The Sorcerer Class Loves Elemental Attacks & Charisma
Tiefling characters of almost any type will get incredible mileage out of the sorcerer class, which is Charisma-based as opposed to Intelligence-loving wizards. Sorcerers are almost as squishy as wizards, though, so the right tiefling traits are needed to keep a tiefling sorcerer.
A winged tiefling sorcerer can evade enemy melee attacks, and any tiefling sorcerer can resist enemy Fireball spells and similar effects. The Levistus tiefling subrace is great because of Armor of Agathys, keeping a fragile caster like this alive much more easily.
1 The Warlock Class Was Practically Made For Tieflings
Above all else, the warlock class is simply perfect for tieflings in terms of both flavor and gameplay stats. Warlocks are CHA-based, like sorcerers and bards, so any tiefling will cast powerful magic in this class. Tiefling warlocks can also use traits like wings, fire resistance, and/or innate Armor of Agathys and Darkness to stay alive.
The Hexblade warlock is popular for tieflings with the right combo. This class can innately cast Darkness, and then attack the enemy within that darkness with the advantage of landing a heavy blow with their sword. That's the single best use of tiefling darkvision, and as a bonus, most enemies will have a disadvantage trying to hit that fragile Hexblade tiefling in return.
